Make your outdoor workout child's play

If you're cooped up in a gym all winter long, then it's likely you look forward to the warmer months. Taking your workout off the redundant spin of the treadmill and away from TV's featuring your least favorite shows (with closed captioning, no less) can be a welcome escape; that is, unless your outdoor workout has also grown to be a bit boring.

Changing running routes or alternating hiking trails is one way to spice up your workout, but sometimes it takes some real fun. As a kid, you probably played outside all the time. So, why stop now just because you're an adult? Weight Watchers magazine offers some fresh ideas for making your outdoor workout fun enough to warrant a gym hiatus.

BEACH. Walk briskly in the ocean (knee deep and parallel to the shore) for three minutes. Then, get back on dry land and walk for one minute. Repeat this sequence five times.
PARK. Organize a scavenger hunt. Some items on the list can be collected by hand, while the discovery of others can be proved by use of a cell phone camera (such as a statue).

POOL. Throw a toy across the pool and speed-walk in waist-deep water with a friend to see who can retrieve the item first.

CITY. Plot out spots on a map and guess how many steps it will take to reach that location. Wear a pedometer to find out how close your guess was (or your friends' guesses, if you have them join in on the fun).